Winter Gifts
by Silver Tallest
Summary: Based on two tumblr prompts. A cute little fluff piece. Hades gives Persephone a couple of gifts. Hades/Persephone. Oneshot.


**A sweet little ficlet based off of two tumblr prompts. "I got you a present" and "Don't you dare throw that snowba-, goddammit!". Reviews are always helpful and encouraging! Enjoy.**

A soft murmur of wakefulness issued from her lips as she stirred in bed. The Gods, of course, didn't have to sleep, and her husband frequently didn't, but Persephone still enjoyed it. Like the flower she was, she loved opening up and greeting the morning sun.

But for now, there was no sun. There was no sky. Only the underground palace.

She stretched out her limbs, finally waking them up from her sleepy haze. As the blankets shifted under her stretch, she was assaulted from the cold. A shiver ran down her neck all the way to her toes and she immediately curled back up in a bundle of warm blankets and furs.

It was always so cold in the Underworld, and it didn't help matters that whenever she was here, it was winter.

She had nearly decided that she was going to just stay in the warm bed all day, when a gentle brush of lips pressed against the top of her exposed head. Persephone slipped a blanket down to peep her large green eyes out at the sudden appearance of her husband.

Hades smiled gently at her, the only times he ever really smiled was when he was with her, and he delicately tucked back a lock of her auburn hair behind her ear.

A small noise of contentment came from Persephone as she smiled back at him. They sat in relative silence, just happy to be near each other.

As her mind cleared itself from sleep, she noticed the Hades was dressed more warmly than usual. His chiton was covered with thick, rich robes lined with fur. She tilted her head in a question.

He chuckled a deep laugh and kissed her head again. "I have a surprise for you," he told her, unable to break his soft gaze on her, gently petting her cheek with his thumb.

She perked up at the thought and sat up in bed. "A surprise?" He nodded his assent, standing back up and leaving her bedside. "Make sure you dress warmly," he told her, and left without another word lest he reveal the secret.

Persephone stared at his exit, her hair disheveled from sleep and her nightgown slipping off her shoulder, her mind a whirl of what the surprise could be.

'I already have more than enough jewels..' she thought to herself. 'Could it be another musical Shade to provide entertainment? Did someone sacrifice something to us? Mother's not coming down, I hope…'

She leaped from the bed, the form of a boisterous young woman, though she was much older than she looked. She threw on a pale pink chiton that faded to a dark crimson, bedecked in glittering jewels. She bundled up with layers of warm robes covered in plush animal furs of grays and blacks. Fully dressed, she bounded from her bedroom she shared with her husband and to the throne room.

There was Hades, standing by his throne, hers sitting right beside his. His equal, his partner. He smiled at her entrance and she slipped into his arms to give and receive a pleasant kiss. "Are you ready for your surprise?" His grey eyes sparkled with amusement.

"Oh yes!" She grinned back at him.

He whistled sharply, and suddenly his black chariot, pulled by coal black horses with fiery red eyes appeared. The stallions stomped their hooves restlessly, being forced to wait mere seconds already. Smoke wafted from their manes, tails, and hooves, fading into the air.

Persephone gasped in delight. "We're going upstairs?" She clapped her hands in delight. She never actually got to experience what the mortals, and for the rest of the world for that matter, what winter was like up above. But then her brow knit in concern.

"But what about… Will Mother know that-"

Hades waved his hand so she wouldn't even have to worry herself over such thoughts. He shook his head. "We don't have to visit Demeter if you don't want to. Gods know that she'd want you back for an early spring if she saw you."

"If I step outside, though, Spring will come and I won't be able to come back…" she bit her lip fretfully. It was still mid-winter and she had no intention on leaving Hades so soon.

"Which is why," he assured her in his soothing, deep voice, "I got you a present." He withdrew a gossamer cloak that moved like water and wrapped it around Persephone. "A cloak of invisibility. Like my helm of invisibility. I'll be able to see you, and you I, if we wish it, but no one else can. The mortal realm won't even know Spring is back," he put on his own helmet and winked at Persephone, something that made her weak in the knees, "if only for a day," he added.

Persephone twirled in her cloak in delight and jumped into the chariot. Hades accompanied her, taking hold of the reigns.

"Thanatos!" He boomed, and the demon of death appeared with a snap, leaving a slightly scorched mark on the marble floors. He bowed deeply to Hades and Persephone. "My lord and lady," he said, paying his respects.

Hades waited until he was upright again. "You will be in charge of maintaining the arrival of the Shades and any punishments you see fit. I highly doubt anyone would be going to Elysium today, but if they do, let me know their names. We will be gone for a few hours."

Thanatos bowed again in consent, "Yes, my lord and lady," and with a crash, they were gone.

Thanatos stood in silence and then realized, "…..but if I'm here, no one will be able to die.." he shrugged and tentatively sat on Hades thrown before sprawling himself out on it.

Persephone giggled in spite of herself, clinging to Hades and the horses flew past the river Styx, dizzying and toppling over Charon in his ferry. Even Hades let out a booming laugh, not caring who heard.

The chariot shot straight up, towards the ceiling of the Earth. A loud rumbling shook the cavernous walls, and the ground broke away, opening up a clear pathway to the sky. Persephone had shut her eyes tightly and clung to Hades's form, never liking this method of going back to the surface, though it was the fastest. The earthquakes it caused were terrifying to the mortals and she pitied them. Sometimes. Plus, it was just loud.

Then, there was stillness and silence. She blinked her eyes open as a frigid, crisp, cold settled around her. A fresher, clean smell, much different from the musky coldness underground.

"We're here," Hades murmured softly to her, placing another kiss on top of her head.

The entire area was covered in white. There were no birds chirping, no animals out, no greenery anywhere. It was flat, white, and silent.

In awe, Persephone carefully stepped out of the chariot. The horses shook their heads and twitched their tales, wisps of smoke a stark contrast against the fields of barren white. She bent down and lightly brushed her fingertips against the white stuff.

"Oh! It's so cold!" She exclaimed. Hades nodded. "Demeter makes the land barren and cold, and Khione takes it upon herself to make the snow," Hades frowned, "although, I suppose you've never met her so you wouldn't have known."

"No…" Persephone mumbled, staring at the ice crystals. Her hands turned bright pink from handling the cold. The sun was a forgotten dream and she squinted up at it.

"You don't think Apollo will…"

"No, he can't see us, remember?" Hades tapped his helmet.

Persephone grinned and ran out into the middle of the field, throwing herself into the snow and rolling around. She laughed gaily and flopped herself on her back, staring up at the sky. She threw a pile of snow up into the air and squealed in delight and cold as the powder fell back down immediately on her face. She was properly dusted with white.

Like a ghost, Hades drifted over to her and knelt beside her. "I trust you are please with your surprise?"

She tackled him to the ground, knocking his helm of darkness off of his head and covering his face in breathless kisses. "Of course I do! I get the best of both worlds." She nuzzled against his chest, "I'm with you and I get to see the sun." His arms instinctively wrapped around her body at her words and he pulled her in for a deep kiss which she happily responded to. After several moments, she broke away, her forehead pressed to his, she was slightly panting for breath. Little puffs in the cold air gave her away.

"Do you know where we are?" He asked her, brushing some snow off of her long hair. Persephone rolled off of him and looked around. Everything was blended into white. She knit her eyebrows in confusion and shook her head. "Should I?"

He pointed in the gray distance. "Look."

She tilted her head and followed his gaze. There, standing all alone, was a bare and twisted tree.

She grinned, "The meadow where we first met!" but then her smile faded to a frown, "Oh, but we can go much closer or I'll be under Mother's protection again…"

Hades kissed her hand and stood back to his feet. "Yes, but we can go to the tree. That's not a part of her meadow." He held her hand in a silent offer to help her back on her feet.

She rose and they walked hand in hand toward the tree.

Persephone embraced the tree and sighed deeply, hugging the cold wood to her cheek. She missed nature. She missed the sun. But she also longed for her husband when she was away. Life was hard. She seemed unhappy.

Hades looked at her with concern, readjusting his helmet. "Do you not like it…?" She slipped behind the tree shyly, not revealing anything to him. He followed her but was always just a second too late. Around the tree she teased him, until finally hitting him in the face with a snowball.

"I take that as you're fine," he said in a monotone. She shrieked with laughter and ran away from him, tossing another snowball at him. Her accuracy was impeccable, hitting him square in the chest.

"I see how it is," he growled playfully, stooping down to gather a wad of snow. She laughed and darted away from him, as he threw the clump, hiding behind the safety of the tree. The snow splattered against the tree, but missed Persephone as she raised another snowball toward Hades. She giggled mischievously and approached him.

He raised his finger in warning. "Don't you dare throw that snowba-, me dammit!" He exclaimed as it poofed in his face with a powdery shower. He lunged at Persephone who squealed and tried to flee. His arms were too strong and they flopped back down into the snow, their limbs a tangled mess as he kissed her up and down her neck. Her giggles turned into sighs of contentment and soft strokes of his arms and back. He gathered her up in his arms and they rested against the roots and trunk of the twisted tree. Soon, snowflakes began to drift down from the grey sky. Hades looked up and whispered softly, "there's Khione, but she won't see us. I promise," hugging her a little closer. A nymph-esque woman, dressed in whites that sparkled and grays that gloomed, floated on a cloud, sprinkling powdery white snow in her wake.

The two Gods sat in silence as they watched her work, enjoying the quiet world around them.

Before long, they decided it was time to go, and Hades scooped up Persephone easily in his arms. Her arms were around his neck and she nuzzled against him, having a lovely morning and afternoon.

"We are expected at home," he told her, with another trademark kiss to her head. She nodded in response and watched the world she knew, yet had just discovered slowly move away from her. Her gaze lingered on the tree, and she could see a couple of tiny pink cherry blossoms budding already from just being near her.

No, although she loved it here, it was time for her to leave. Hades placed her gently back down in the chariot and she kissed his cheek. Winter wasn't over yet.


End file.
